Challenge Salou race report - Craig Burrows

WhittleFit coached triathlete Craig Burrows raced in Spain a few weeks ago, he raced Challenge Salou, which is a half iron distance trathlon, lets hear how he got on:

When choosing a race I look for many facets that will make it desirable for both myself, who will be racing and Loz (my girlfriend), who will be supporting. Generally the criteria is fast, flat, good weather and somewhere different each time (apart from Ironman Wales which is like an itch I just can't scratch). After Challenge Salou this past weekend I may be revisiting some, if not all of that essential check list.

I must first start off by saying that I loved racing Challenge Salou, it was a fantastic event that was as inclusive to all abilities as it was geared towards the speedy ones. It wasn't without its flaws and caveats but what race is? The main thing is that I had fun, so much fun.

This race report won't be dissertation worthy like I'm prone to writing but more of a concise account of what I liked about the race, my performance and the quirks that came with racing abroad.

The combination of not having been on holiday in a while and that Challenge Salou fell during the school half term made the decision to do it pretty logical. The plan was that wewould fly out on the Saturday morning, race on the Sunday and fly home the following Wednesday after a few days of relaxation, over indulgence and most importantly, no exercise. The logistics of the trip all went to plan and the days ensuing the race were spent unwinding, sunbathing and enjoying the open water as it was meant to be enjoyed, free of a wetsuit and with no front crawl.

The Race: So with this being a race report I will skip the 'memoirs of a Brit abroad' and focus on the race itself.

The Swim: The swim was described as shallow and clear. It didn't disappoint, it took almost 2-3 minutes of knee deep wading from the canon start before you could get your body under and swim. The course was mapped out almost like a rectangular letter P. You swim out 400m out, 1000m across then back towards shore for 100m before making your way back across the rectangle and then around one last buoy turning back to shore. The swim was pretty uneventful due to the competitors being split into waves. I happened to be off at 7:10 and in wave 4. I took a peek at my watch when I passed the 3rd buoy (1500m) and my watch said 22:00. I thought to myself 'seesh, 400m to go, I could be under 30min here. Not quite sure what happened on the final stretch of that swim but I came out of the water in 35min and as you can imagine, pretty gutted. It was only later that I found out the fastest swim of the day was 24:00 so maybe it was slightly long? Let's hope so for my confidence sake. I exited the swim and headed off towards transition. It was already 19 degrees when I exited the water and It wasn't even 8am. The last wave of athletes were off at 10am! That meant they would be running in the mid afternoon heat, I felt for them. A new experience for me at this race was that when you were finished with your swim/run bag you just left it and the volunteers put it back for you. This sped up my transition remarkably as i'm useless at remembering my number normally let alone finding the hook.

The Bike: I had done some research on the race from previous years and [GEEK ALERT] had taken the time to input the course into best bike split and plan my race power strategy accordingly. However, in race briefing the organisers dropped a bombshell that as recently as the day before the local Government rejected the bike course due to roadworks. This meant that they had to improvise and instead of the planned out and back course it was now 4 loops of a more localised circuit. It still promised to be fast as it was closed road and predominantly duel carriage way but even the organisers seemed uncertain when questioned about the logistics in briefing. It turns out that it was fast, way too fast. I completed it in 2:14 hr according to my Garmin. My only data on my Garmin Edge during races are power related and time related, no speed and no distance (to avoid me pushing for an average speed and cooking the legs) so I was relying on instinct and my instinct said it was short. It turns out it was short by almost 4 miles which is disappointing for race authenticity reasons but a delight for weary legs when you're pushing out the watts to keep up with the Euro 'uber bikers'. The course possesses typical duel carriage way and coastal characteristics. Long subtle ascents and descents that can take it out of the legs as quickly as it gives it back, wind that can make you want to cry in one direction and makes you think you're breaking the speed limit in the other. Couple this with a 'largely' smooth road surface and the usual plethora of Euro drafters then this had everything to make it a rapid course. Weirdly, despite this being a race (my first triathlon race of the year) I wasn't treating it with the same respect as I normally do. I already had my eyes on Ironman Hamburg in the summer and maybe that was clouding my enthusiasm. Despite this being a race I couldn't quite motivate myself to push those extra watts or up the arm stroke in the swim. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't being lazy. I still wanted to do well and was still pushing myself but I just couldn't find my racing legs if that makes sense.

I arrived back at T2 pleased with my bike leg overall despite my legs starting to burn a little and my power being 5% lower than planned. I had stuck to the hydration and fuel plan well too which pleased me as I tend not to drink enough especially in the heat. I aimed for 4 bottles of energy drink and 4 watered down gels (about 1 of each every lap) which is more than usual for a 70.3 but I was nervous about the heat and potentially cramping.

The Run: This is where the fun normally starts and for the first time EVER I wasn't looking forward to getting off the bike and running. I wasn't sure how it was going to go as I felt my legs during the tail end of the bike and could feel it getting hotter and hotter on my exposed skin. However, off I got, Pedal Cover hat and sunglasses on and off I trotted. I quickly got up to my desired pace and almost as quickly as I got there I realised that I was not going to be holding it for the day.I think I lasted 1 mile at my target pace and then I hit the wall, not the bonk wall but the wall of heat that was engulfing me. All the wind that had both frustrated and excited me on the bike course was nowhere to be felt in the town centre. I couldn't get a proper breathing or cadence rhythm and worse still, I could barely run. I was so hot. I planned to start stopping at aid stations on Lap 2 (2 per lap) but I walked every aid station starting with the first one. I made sure I covered myself in water and took a moment to cool down before I ran again. I was desperate for a wet sponge or a water cannon like I remember them having in Zell am See, no such privilege here.

I finally made it round my first lap (5k) and swapped my cap for a visor with Loz. She confirmed the temperature to me (25 degrees), a cruel form of torture was being endured. All I could think of were those poor sods who started the swim at 10am and were still not back off the bike. I knew I wouldn't be setting any PB's here but also needed to finish is a respectable time to avoid disappointment. What was so frustrating is that it seemed like everyone around me was flying and I was the only one struggling (that obviously wasn't the case).

They say that 'pictures paint a thousand words', or in the modern day, 'a smartphone photo doesn't lie' and if the run photos from the first 10k are anything to go by then 'I looked like arse' as Loz told me afterwards was very fitting. Luckily as the run progressed I managed to learn where some shady spots on the course were and I also managed to find a fellow British running partner for the last 7-8k. We paced each other around well and although I wasn't running much faster I did feel much better and smoother for the last half of the run.

As I approach the final 1k I looked down at my watch and it said 1:23. 'That can't be right' I thought. My watch had been playing silly buggers during the run and kept dropping in and out of signal but it couldn't be that off. I just went with it anyway and kept running with my new 'running fwend' who instantly concurred that his watch was also short. I even asked him if we had to do a 5th lap that I had not known about (or listened to) in briefing. Nope, that was it.

I crossed the line to a 'well done Buzz.... like a bee' announcement from the race commentator and stopped the watch to the chime of 4:23:40. I was too hot to care about the inaccurate distances at this point and just wanted shade, water and a burger. I mention the burger not only because it's an ongoing joke but because normally I don't want anything immediately post race but today I was starving and had been for some time. Something I need to look into with the boss during the next debrief maybe. Just for the record I did have a burger and it was a 'Grande Big Mac meal', lovely to sample the local cuisine.

Racing Abroad: Just to finish I thought i'd share a few 'quirks' that I encountered when racing abroad and some advice to the abroad novices like me.

• Bike boxes and TT bikes are not as harmonious as I thought they would be. It took me several hours, coffees and attempts to get the lid closed. So my advice would be not to leave it until the night before you travel to dismantle and pack the bike (especially if it isn't your box and you're not familiar with it). Also, pack the tools you used to dismantle said bike, you will need them the other end.
• Pre-race rituals need to be planned well in advanced. I like the same breakfast before every race so I took my preferred oats with me and made some overnight oats. I did have to make do with longline Spanish milk and hotel sugar instead of my honey mind. I was unable to have a pre-race coffee (similar to London Marathon) and quite frankly, I don't like it. I should have been more prepared by taking some of my own and learnt after the last time.
• In many countries they ride/drive on the opposite side of the road. I'll be honest, this did confuse me somewhat at the first few roundabouts on the bike course. I got shouted at an awful lot by speedy euro bikers as I was in their way. I quickly realised that I was hugging the wrong side of the road when I thought I was cruising along, oops, I quickly learned the rules, and some Spanish profanities.
• If the race is going to be hot then try and stay out of the sun as much as you can in the preceding days. I did this pretty well and made sure I was chugging down the hydration tabs but If I hadn't have been constantly reminded to drink then I probably wouldn't have been hydrated enough. My attitude was, If I thought I was hydrated enough then still drink more.
• If it is a holiday/race then try and get the race as close to the start of the trip as possible. I'm not sure I would have fitted in my Race Suit if I had indulged in the hotel buffet all week then raced. For your mental state of mind it is easier to race then relax  than relax then race, I suppose that seems obvious but I do think the 'holiday' vibe of the trip contributed to my impaired focus on race day.